California Attorney General Takes Action to End Homosexual Marriage

Feb 24, 2004 11:09 AM EST

In an immediate response to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's request to "take immediate steps" to prevent homosexual marriage from becoming legalized, California’s Attorney General Bill Lockyer is planning to take action by presenting legal documents against the homosexual marriage to the Supreme Court.

According to Reuters, Lockyer was positive that the courts would ban homosexual marriages and invalidate the gay weddings that were held in San Francisco.

"I think it will be weeks and my best prediction is that the marriages will be invalidated, the courts will direct people that wish to change the law to the legislative process," said Democrat Attorney Lockyer, who is considered to be the possible rival to Republican Schwarzenegger in the 2006 election.

"My duty is very clear. It is to defend the state law," said Lockyer, "We're going to respond to their lawsuit which they filed late last week."

Newly elected Mayor Gavin Newsom who issued marriage licenses to 3,175 gay couples on Feb. 12 is expected to bring a great societal division outside of San Francisco as well as more gay couples across the nation are trying to challenge the state's marriage law. Already, two gay couples in Los Angeles who were denied marriage license filed a new lawsuit on Monday.

Although the court ruling hasn't made a final decision yet, the position of the state's Department of Vital Records, which logs births, deaths and marriages, was clear: no recognition of gay marriage certificates.

The court hearing on Saturday ended inconclusively. The next hearing will be on March 26.